In Absentia: The 53rd Hunger Games
by DaughteroftheOneTrueKing
Summary: With boredom growing in the Capitol after the Quarter Quell, the 53rd Games are being touted as the best the Capitol the has to offer.
1. Prologue- Gearing Up

**Okay all, so as I said in my extremely late update of The Grass is Greener, that is done and I'm starting fresh with this new SYOT, which I'm titling In Absentia. This will be a simpler thing than I tried with TGIG, being just a normal Games before any of the rebellion stuff would have happened. I hope you all enjoy this, and that you submit soon so we can get started!**

**My Rules For Submitting: First thing is to fill out the form, which I will put below this. I make a few rules for the kinds of characters I want to see. Sweet little kids with no clue what's going on are fine, but just know that they will most likely be bloodbaths unless there's something really special about them. A little kid could win, but they would need to be interested in something besides kittens and puppies. I see these all the time in SYOTs, and while they are fine, they are often painful to read through. Also, no ruthless and completely irredeemable Career tributes. They're fun to make, agreed, but simply not realistic. After all, no one truly wants to go into the arena and kill everyone unless they've got something seriously wrong with them. Sure they can be awful characters, but there should be some kind of kernel that could save them if necessary.**

**You can submit more than one character, but I think I'll limit it to three total characters per person.**

**Other than that, everything is on the table! Submission form coming at you!**

**Name:**

**Age:**

**Gender:**

**District:**

**Close Family: (you can include some extended family here too if you want)**

**Background:**

**Appearance:**

**Personality:**

**Friends:**

**Reaped or Volunteered:**

**If Reaped, Reaction. If Volunteered, Why:**

**What They Think Of The Games:**

**Outfit for Interviews:**

**Strategy In Arena:**

**Possible Training Score and Why:**

**Chances of Winning:**

**Anything Extra?**

**And now, a brief intro to the story so I don't get accused of violating the terms of FFN writing, blah blah blah.**

_Lina Hedgerow, 17, Capitol Citizen_

As I sat with my family waiting for the first reapings of the day to begin, I knew that this year would be a good one. The Quarter Quell had been two years ago, and everyone in the Capitol, myself included, was starting to get bored with the proceedings. President Snow had promised us that this year would be even more exciting than that had been, and we took him at his word.

"Which district do you think will win this year?" My little sister Gemma asked me.

I shrugged. "Dunno, we'll have to wait and see when the reapings are over. I think we'll get a good pool this year."

Just then, the television kicked on, the opening notes of the anthem playing triumphantly.

_This is it._

**Okay, so that's that, and submissions are now officially open! Go, go, go, the more you submit, the sooner we can start!**


	2. District One Reapings- Sick Of It

Chapter One: Sick Of It

_When everything you do don't seem to matter_

_You try but it's no use, your world is getting blacker_

_Sick Of It, _Skillet

_Hayden Pierce, 18, District 1 Citizen_

"Come on, Opal! Let's go!" Hayden Pierce called as he waited by the door. _Gracelyn never took so long to get ready for training. _"We only have a little while left before we have to forego training and get ready for the reaping!"

Hayden tapped his fingers on his pants impatiently as he waited for his fourteen year old sister to get ready. They had decided to get a little bit of last minute training in before the reapings started at noon, but that would never happen if Opal didn't _hurry the hell up! _

After a few minutes, Opal hurried down the stairs with a grin on her face. "Take a chill pill, Hayden. I'm ready, and I'm the one who's now waiting on you."

Hayden rolled his eyes and followed his sister out of the house. "Sometimes, I swear talking to you is like talking to-"

"Yourself?" she interrupted, smirking slyly at him. "I know, where do you think I get it from?"

Hayden narrowed his eyes at her. "Watch it, Opal. I won't take it easy on you today if you keep it up."

She continued to grin. "Really, that's what you've been doing this whole time? I thought I beat you half the time because I was just better."

Hayden finally allowed himself a grin at his sister's teasing. "Stop it, let's get going."

The two siblings finally made their way through the streets of District One, heading for the local training center. The day was growing hot already, and so when they arrived, they were glad to get into the cool of the center.

After a quick stretch and warm-up routine, Hayden and Opal began their sparring. _This used to be Gracelyn's favorite thing. _

"Watch your knees," Hayden warned Opal, two seconds before he swept her feet out from under her with a swift kick.

Falling hard on her back, Opal groaned, having had the breath knocked out of her. "That was _so _not gentlemanly!"

Smirking, Hayden held out his hand to help her up and said, "I'm not known for that, now am I?"

"Yeah, a new girl every month or so. Who's the lucky lady right now, anyway?" Opal brushed herself off and prepared to continue sparring.

"Not relevant, but a good attempt at distracting your opponent," Hayden warned her. They began sparring once again, trading blows and defending themselves. After a few minutes, they were both breathing hard, and sat down on a bench to catch their breath. Opal stared at Hayden for a moment, and it seemed as if she wanted to ask him something.

Before she could, however, one of their trainers came over to speak with them. Nic Owens was a popular member of staff, and Hayden knew him pretty well.

"Hayden, Opal, how are you guys?" he asked the siblings. "Ready for the reaping?"

Hayden stood and shook Nic's hand. "Yes, sir. I'm not backing out of the volunteer position."

Opal stayed on the bench, and Hayden noticed her purse her lips unhappily, but she didn't say anything. "Well, carry on!" Nic left them at the bench, and Hayden turned to Opal again.

"What do you want to say, Opal?" Hayden asked, raising his eyebrows in question. Before they said anything else, Hayden noticed tears falling down Opal's eyes.

"I don't want you to die like Gracelyn," she said quietly. Hayden sighed. He knew that Opal had been upset when he'd been chosen to be the volunteer this year. After all, they'd already lost a sister to the Hunger Games.

Gracelyn. Their older sister had been picked for the Games when she was only fifteen, although not without cause. She was a formidable fighter and extremely good at all aspects of training. She made it through the games fairly easily, until being killed during the final two battle with the District 7 male tribute.

Hayden, fourteen at the time, had then made it his mission to train even harder and volunteer when he was able. And yet… he hadn't thought of the impact it would have on Opal.

"Opal, I'm not Gracelyn. She was picked too early, and I'm eighteen. I'm not going to die, I'm going to win and then I'll be back here. Then you'll feel silly for doubting me."

Opal sighed. "Hayden, I know you're always so confident, but there are bound to be at least a couple of other people who are as powerful as you are."

"The only people that could challenge me are the other careers, and even then it's pretty unlikely," Hayden knew that he was more experienced than Gracelyn had been when she died, and since she made it to second place, he could win. "You'll just have to trust me," Hayden finally told her.

A bell sounded throughout the facility, warning them that they needed to go to the reaping. Opal stared around anxiously. "Okay, Hayden. I'll trust you."

* * *

_Gemma Rowe, 18, District 1 Citizen_

As long as Gemma kept her hands on her good luck charm, she could keep herself breathing normally. This was imperative, as her friend Weiss was eerily good at reading people, and would have begun to bother her about it. If Gemma prided herself on anything, it was to make everyone think she was completely fearless.

Unfortunately, she didn't seem to be doing a good enough job. Weiss looked over, and when she saw her friend's hand clenched at her side, she said, "Gem, are you okay? What are you gripping there?"

Putting on a false smile, Gemma said, "Nothing, just a charm. I'm fine." Of course, that wasn't entirely true. Anyone would be a little nervous if they were going to volunteer for the Hunger Games. Twenty-four people entered the arena, and this year, Gemma planned to be one of them. Of course, it was essentially a death sentence for all except one. That was why Gemma had trained almost every day to give herself the best chance of being chosen.

Waiting in this line to sign in to the reapings certainly didn't help.

"You're still volunteering, right?" Weiss asked her, pulling her strands of dark hair away from her eyes. "They picked you?"

Gemma nodded. "They told me yesterday, it's me and some guy called Hayden. We got called in after we finished." Truth be told, even if she hadn't been chosen, she would have volunteered. She made this decision when she was fourteen.

Until that point, she had been training in order to show her parents she was worth anything. She held out hope until that point, but then her father showed her that would never happen. He never put any faith in her, because he wanted to have more children, but only got Gemma. Her mother never stuck up for her, remaining silent whenever her father started in on his daughter.

Weiss narrowed her eyes and said, "You know what, screw them. If you don't want to do this, I'll volunteer instead, or just let whatever girl who gets reaped take her chances!"

Gemma shook her head fiercely. "No, Weiss. I am volunteering. I want more than District 1, and I honestly can't be around my parents anymore. I'm volunteering."

WIth a dubious sigh, Weiss took a step forward. "All right. Just checking that you didn't have cold feet."

The pair waited impatiently in the line, and eventually made it to the line of sign in tables. After being pricked and passed through the entrance, Gemma headed for the front of the crowd, and Weiss eventually separated from her, being slightly younger. Staring around her at the other girls, all of whom seemed to be quite calm and relaxed. _They know that someone is going to volunteer and they'll be safe. _The only ones that seemed to be anxious were the twelves and thirteens.

The time slowly passed, and eventually, the reapings came around. Their Capitol escort, a ridiculous woman named Moxie Duskway, came up on the stage and tapped the microphone set up there, sending feedback through the square. Gemma winced, and then stared up at Moxie as she said, "Welcome, citizens of District One! I won't keep us in suspense, let's find out who our District one tributes will be for the Fifty-Third Hunger Games!"

Gemma waited in silence, knowing that whoever was picked would shortly be relieved of the tribute title by her volunteering.

"Our female tribute is Agate Locke!" Moxie called. Somewhere in the crowd, a young girl, maybe around sixteen, made her way out of the throng. Before she made it far, however, Gemma shoved her hand into the air and moved a girl out of her way to get to the middle of the square.

"I volunteer!" she called. She knew that it was stupid, and that this girl was likely able to make her own go of the Games. But Gemma just couldn't stand another year in District One with no break from her uncaring and bitter father. "I volunteer as tribute."

Making her way to the stage, Gemma stood beside Moxie, standing there silently.

"Well, this is wonderful!" Moxie exclaimed happily. ""A volunteer. What is your name, my dear?"

"I'm Gemma Rowe," she said. "I'm 18, and I'm going to do my best to come back as your next victor."

Moxie laughed and responded, "Well, confidence is key! Good luck, Miss Rowe!"

Gemma smiled thinly, indicating to Moxie that she should move on to the male tributes. Taking the hint, Moxie went over to the second bowl of names.

"Adel Brier!"

Instantly, another older boy jumped out of the crowd, with the inevitable words, "I volunteer. Name's Hayden Pierce, and I hope you have fun watching me compete and win."

Gemma recognized the boy from the meeting yesterday. She hadn't liked him then, and she didn't like him much more now. Hayden Pierce had a reputation among the girls in their school for being a player. Weiss even dated him for a while before they broke up.

As the crowd clapped in apparent happiness, Gemma shook Hayden's hand, but all she was thinking was, _what have I gotten myself into?_

**Okay so that's the first chapter! Tell me what y'all think of the chapter in general, and answer some of these questions.**

**Do you like Hayden or Gemma more? Do you think they could win?**

**Do you think your character would ally with either of them if they weren't careers?**

**Was Hayden stupid to brush off his sister's concerns about volunteering?**

**Should Gemma have taken Weiss' advice and let the reaped girl take her chances?**

**Also, for all submitters, please comment or PM me with an actor or actress who you think looks like your character. I want to make something with it, so go go go! Hope you enjoy this, and please answer the questions!**

**Two Notes: One, a disclaimer- I do not own Hunger Games or the song Sick Of It. Two, I am mostly full, but I am waiting on two reserved characters. If they become available, I will let you all know! As of now, here is the full character list.**

**District 1 Female: Gemma Rowe**

**District 1 Male: Hayden Pierce**

**District 2 Female: Amelia Roosa**

**District 2 Male: Riley Adrian**

**District 3 Female: Lani Fuse**

**District 3 Male: Albert Spark**

**District 4 Female: Khanna Shine**

**District 4 Male: Storm Colter**

**District 5 Female: Isabella Martin**

**District 5 Male: Isaac Martin**

**District 6 Female: Kamden Vercetti**

**District 6 Male: Jace Vercetti**

**District 7 Female: Scarlett Atwood**

**District 7 Male: Rowan Scorrus**

**District 8 Female: Thalia Windstone**

**District 8 Male: Thomas Windstone**

**District 9 Female: Estrella Browne**

**District 9 Male: Rye Brioche**

**District 10 Female: Acadia Brown**

**District 10 Male: Reserved**

**District 11 Female: Hope Finley**

**District 11 Male: Reserved**

**District 12 Female: Zera Tarren**

**District 12 Male: Flint Blackwood**


	3. District Two Reapings- Hall Of Fame

Chapter 2: Hall Of Fame

_You're standing in the hall of fame_

_And the world's gonna know your name_

_Hall of Fame, _The Script

_Amelia Roosa, District Two Citizen_

Amelia flipped an omelet onto the plate in her hand, calling over her shoulder, "Dad! Breakfast is ready, come eat!"

Putting the plate on the table, she cracked another two eggs and began to make her own omelet. A moment later, her father entered the kitchen, tightening a belt around his waist.

"Morning, Ames," her father greeted, pouring a cup of coffee before sitting down and eating the omelet. "What's the plan for the day?"

Finishing her omelet, she put it on a plate and sat across from him. "The usual, I think. Riley's going to wait for me at the square, and we're going to sign in and wait until the reapings. Then we're both volunteering."

This had been decided two months ago by the trainers at their Academy. Amelia and her boyfriend Riley Adrian had been called into the offices of the head trainer, Helaine Killian, who had told them that, due to their abilities to work so well together, they had been chosen to enter the arena together. To the trainers, it made sense, and gave them the highest chance of having a victor that year. Amelia, however, had been a shoe-in for the last three years.

Amelia saw her father's calm, interested expression change to a worried frown. "Amelia, I accepted it when you wanted to volunteer, I thought it would give you the tools to stand up for yourself. I never thought you'd actually end up volunteering."

For Amelia, there were two reasons she had trained so hard and made her way up the ranks to be District Two's volunteer this year. The main reason, the one that Amelia had outwardly convinced herself was the real reason, was that they would be her chance to make something of herself. In the Districts, being a tribute was just about one of the only ways anyone could be someone well-known. Amelia knew that's what she wanted to be: remembered, and to gain the honor of competing and coming back a Victor.

But there was a reason, that, while she tried to keep back, she knew was her real reason for wanting to go in. When she was born, her mother had died from trauma and other complications. Amelia knew it was irrational, but she often blamed herself for "killing" her mother. It was this that made her want to enter, so that she could make sure her mother hadn't died just for her to sit and be a bump on a log.

"I know, but I have to do it. I'd rather it be me than some poor girl who has no idea how to defend herself. I have a chance, at least."

Her father sighed, a dark look crossed his face. "Yes, your training gives you a huge chance to come home. I just wish Riley wasn't going in with you as well. I know you guys have been together for a couple years now, and you'll have a hard time killing him if it comes to that."

Amelia had thought of this. She knew she could beat Riley at Final 2, as they'd agreed last month. She was better than him in every aspect of training except for the strength tests, but she made up for this with her extensive tactics and weapons knowledge. She dearly hoped someone else would beat her to that kill, because she dreaded it.

"Dad, if it's him, or me, I know what decision I'm making," she assured him. "Now, come on, let's finish eating, the reapings are in an hour, and I'm still not dressed."

Her dad sighed, putting on a smile for his daughter again. "Okay, kiddo. I'm going to have faith in you."

For the next few minutes, the pair ate in silence, only speaking to make simple comments that had nothing to do with the day's events and Amelia's role in them. Eventually, Amelia finished and excused herself to get ready.

In her room, Amelia flopped backwards on her bed. It was difficult to have to act the grown up, but when her mother had died, he had never been much of an authority, preferring to act like a friend instead of a father. Sometimes she wished he would have. Maybe things would have been different if her mother had survived, but they would never know.

Taking out her clothes, Amelia got dressed. As she did, she continued to think. Did she really have a good chance of winning? Her honest answer? She didn't know, and wouldn't know until she met her competitors. It was likely that she could beat everyone in the lower Districts, but anyone in the Careers were fair competitors. Going by the statistics, she had the highest scores of any District Two volunteer in history, so that had to mean something, right?

Finally ready, Amelia examined herself in the mirror, brushing a few strands of hair away. Smoothing her skirt, she gave herself a determined nod. "May the odds be ever in my favor."

* * *

_Riley Adrian, 18, District One Citizen._

After having seen his four siblings into the square, Riley Adrian waited just outside, waiting to see any sign of Amelia. Of course, he knew she was almost always late, except to reapings. They had met outside of the square for reapings ever since they'd started dating two and a half years ago, and every year he'd been first to arrive.

Finally, he saw her approach, grinning as she said, "Howdy, stranger. What brings you here on this fine afternoon?"

He thought it was hilarious when Amelia put on her smiles, because most people didn't realize that behind them was a girl who could kick anyone's ass and not blink an eye.

"All right, Ames, stop it," he returned her grin. "Let's go, it's almost time for us to begin the journey to the final two."

As they approached the table to sign in, Riley noticed Amelia's smile drop, and saw her eyes grow pensive. Eventually, he stopped her and said, "Amelia, what's going on? You know we have this in the bag, there's no way you can be worried."

WIth a flash of defiance, she said, "Well, I am!" With a groan, she said, "I'm sorry, Riley. I just… I don't know. Don't you have any doubts? Any at all?"

Riley confidently shook his head. "Why should we? We've both trained since we were kids, we have infinite experience. Besides District One and maybe District Four, none of the other districts have anyone who could beat us."

Riley knew that Amelia was a lot less confident about their chances of winning than he was. He just didn't have any doubts. After all, his family was centered on training. There was no way he would lose to anyone except Amelia. Even then, it would come down to a hard fight between them.

"Come on, Ames," he said, when she gave him a skeptical look. "We're District Two, we can't lose."

"What about Riven, Alex, and the twins? Your parents? Won't they worry about you?"

Riley gave her a derisive look. "You know how Mom and Dad are, they've always wanted me to volunteer. Riven's a big girl, she can deal, Alex could care less, and the twins have each other."

Amelia looked like she wanted to say something more, but decided against it. She'd learned that when it came to talking about his family, less was usually better. "You're right, I guess." Turning away, she said, "Come on, we're almost up."

Making their way to the desk, they made it into the square and found places with their other peers near the front of the stage. Many tried to avoid Riley as they gathered, which was the reaction he usually got. Most people were intimidated by him because of his size. He wasn't fat, just a big, broad guy. Amelia, however, had become friends with him because she wasn't intimidated by anyone. Two and a half years later, they were closer than ever. In all honesty, Riley had grown closer to Amelia than anyone else he knew, except maybe Riven, his thirteen year old sister.

Their escort, Juniper Thwaite, approached the microphone and said her usual spiel that most of the older kids, as well as many of the others could quote word for word. Many of them thought that it was scripted, which made sense, as many of the escorts he;d seen on television didn't seem all that smart. She ended with, "May the odds be ever in your favor, District Two!"

Riley knew this was it, the moment that both he and Amelia had trained for since they were six years old. Juniper went over to the girls bowls and picked a name, bringing it over to the microphone. "The District Two tribute will be Nicolette Stern!"

With a calm, ringing voice, Amelia called, "I volunteer!" She left Riley's side, and he watched her ascend the stage to stand beside Juniper. When asked, she said, "I'm Amelia Roosa," with a broad smile.

The male came quickly after that, with Juniper reading the name of some boy who would likely have not stood a chance. Luckily for them, Riley was there. As soon as the name was called, Riley surged through the crowd, his call of, "I volunteer," much brasher and insolent seeming than Amelia's had been. He didn't volunteer out of pity for the other kid. He never pitied anyone. He volunteered because that's what his whole life had been about. His father was a trainer at their academy, and Riley had been intended as a volunteer since even before his training had begun.

Before he was asked, he said, "I'm Riley Adrian. Amelia here and I are the best District Two team you'll have, and one of us will definitely win."

With a roll of her eyes, Amelia said, "Well, we are a team, but it's not polite to boast. You'll just have to see how far it takes us."

With the customary shake of hands, Amelia and Riley were escorted into the Justice Building.

**And here's chapter two, with both characters created as a pair by david12341. Hope you enjoy this, please let me know what you think! Here are some questions to get you started.**

**Who do you like more, Amelia or Riley?**

**If they weren't Careers, do you think your character would ally with them?**

**How do you think Amelia will handle being in the arena, with her internal struggle over "killing" her mother?**

**Riley's overconfidence is quite obvious (hopefully lol). Do you think this could help, or will it be so extensive that people dislike him?**

**I actually had a lot of fun writing this chapter! They should be coming faster now since I have a bit more time before school starts. Maybe not two days but definitely another chapter by the end of the week.**


	4. District Three Reapings- Counting Stars

Chapter Three: Counting Stars

_Old, but I'm not that old_

_Young, but I'm not that bold_

_And I don't think the world is sold_

_On just doing what we're told_

_Counting Stars, _OneRepublic

_Albert Spark, 16, District 3 Citizen_

As long as Albert was alive, he knew that his father would never truly give up. After his mother died last year, Thomas Spark nearly gave up on living. Albert knew that he would have if he hadn't realized that he needed to look after his fifteen year old son. It had been touch and go on those first days and months after his mother died, but eventually they fell into their new routine. Thomas went to work, made enough for their food and to pay bills, and that was about all.

Albert had learned that he would have to be responsible for actually paying the bills and such. Albert didn't blame his father for essentially withdrawing from the world. He had been devastated after her death, hiding over at his best friend Lani's house to avoid being in the house where she'd passed.

A year later, and it was now Albert's sixth reaping day. He didn't know how it would be, but the first thing that hit him was a keen sense of _wrongness. _It took him all of a second to realize why. On reaping days, his mother would make breakfast for them, and come into his room with the same joke to wake him up. In her cheerful tone, she would say, "He does not snore, he is nasally repetitive!" This morning, that didn't happen, nor did the smells of pancakes drenched in syrup, sausage, and hot chocolate drift down the hall.

With a groan of tiredness, he pulled himself up and out of bed, pulling on a shirt as he did so. AS he walked out of the room and down the hall, he looked around for his father.

Finally finding him sitting at the counter in the kitchen, Albert said, "Morning, Dad."

With a blink, his dad focused on him and said, "Hey, Albert. Sleep ok?"

Albert rummaged through their refrigerator for a few sausages and milk to make some kind of simple breakfast. "Fine. Nothing important to report." For a while after his mother's death, he had had nightmares, but they had started to cease, for which he was grateful. He hated waking up covered in sweat. He barely remembered the nightmare when he woke, but the feeling of terror remained with him through the day.

Pulling out a pan, Albert started to make sausages for their breakfast. Flipping them onto a plate to drain the grease, he served some to his father before eating some himself. As he lifted a sausage, he caught sight of the bracelet that Lani had made him last year. They had made them just before his mother's death, and he never removed it except to take a bath.

"Albert, are you meeting Lani before the reaping?" Albert looked up in surprise as his father spoke. They so rarely talked anymore for prolonged periods, especially at breakfast.

Albert had been friends with Lani Fuse since they were six years old, and they'd been paired up as seat partners in first grade. They remained close through the years, becoming the siblings they didn't actually have. Lani sometimes seemed much braver than him, as evidenced by the time she stood up to some bullies who he'd been trying to stop bothering a kid a few years ago.

"Yeah, I'm going over to her house and we'll walk to the reaping together." The reaping… Albert would never understand why the capitol felt the need to keep the districts in line in such a horrible way. It was all ultimately up to chance, and Albert could do nothing to protect anyone.

"You've got nineteen entries, right?" Of course, five entries, plus three more every year in tessera until this year, when it had been dropped to two. Albert nodded, as he had a mouthful of sausage.

His father said no more, but Albert saw his face grow darker as they continued to eat. After a few minutes, they finished, and Albert excused himself in the guise of getting ready so he could meet Lani, but he really just needed to escape the tense atmosphere. He had no idea how his father would react if he were reaped, but he didn't think it would be good. He'd heard awful stories about families who lost children to the Games doing awful things both to themselves and others.

Albert made a determined promise as he got ready to leave. _I will not be reaped. And If I am, I will survive._

_I have to, because if I don't, Dad will probably lose it._

* * *

_Lani Fuse, 16, District Three Citizen_

Waiting at the end of the path by her house, Lani Fuse waited for Albert to arrive. Usually he was here by now, and she had no idea what could be delaying him.

"Lani?" Lani turned around to see her mother walking towards her from their house. "Something wrong, sweetheart?"

Lani shook her head with a sigh. "No, not really. Just waiting for Albert to come, he's usually not so late."

Her mother smirked as she said, "Don't worry, Lani. He was probably caught up at home You get carried away so much." Catching sight of something down the lane, she said, "I told you, there he is." Indeed, Lani saw Albert approaching.

Before Lani turned away, she gave her mother a worried look. "Mom, if I'm reaped…"

Without a word, she enveloped her daughter in a warm embrace. "Lani, I know you're not very physically imposing, but ou do know some survival skills. Remember what I taught you, and don't worry. Okay, honey?"

Lani nodded, her head still against her mother's chest. It was a comfort, and Lani wanted to draw as much as she could before she pulled herself together.

Albert finally made it, and she managed a smile to greet him. "Hey, Al."

"Morning, Lani," he said, returning her smile. "Ready to go?"

Giving her mother one final look, Lani said, "Yeah, let's go ahead and go."

After a short walk, the two made it to the square where the reaping was held. Waiting in the line at the sign in counter, Lani noticed that Albert seemed to buzz with nerves. Lani finally couldn't take it anymore.

"Albert, is something up?" She placed her hand on his arm comfortingly. "Tell me, ou know I'll figure it out eventually."

With a sigh, Albert said, "You know how Dad's been since Mom died last year. I just don't know what he'd do if I got reaped. It's got me worried."

Lani knew how sensitive Albert could get about his father, so she tried to be delicate as she said, "You know we're only a few names out of thousands. You're not going to be reaped, understand?" She gave him a firm look.

He nodded with a rueful smile. "Okay, Lani. Whatever you say."

Eventually they made it through the check in and found places in the sixteen year olds section. Standing among crowds of other people, Lani watched the square continue to fill, people continuing to fill the streets and alleys where screens had been erected for the reaping.

District Three's escort, a rather severe-looking older woman came to the podium with a perfunctory, "May the odds be ever in your favor!" before heading to the first ball that held the girls names. Pulling the slip of paper from the container, she seemingly stalked back to the microphone and read the name of the fated tribute.

"District Three's female tribute this year is Miss Lani Fuse."

The first thing that Lani felt was a jolt of terror. How could it be her? She only had twenty entries, so she had been seemingly safe. _Safety in the reaping is ridiculous, _she thought. She knew that she was going to die as she slowly made her way past Albert to the stage. Albert stared at her, her own fear mirrored in his eyes.

As she stood next to the escort, she began to think. Her mother had taught her survival skills such as fire making and shelter-making, and even practice with their kitchen knives while cooking. Compared to some tributes, she would stand no chance, but perhaps with luck, she could get past some. Outlasting would have to be her plan.

Their escort gave her a cursory glance before moving over to the boys globe to pick the tribute. Returning to the podium, the boy's name rang across the square.

"Albert Spark," she said.

Lani sought out Albert in the crowd as he approached the stage. His fists clenched at his sides, he took the space beside her. Without a word, she took his hand. It wasn't romantic, but at the moment, Lani needed the reassurance Albert's grip provided.

"The District Three tributes!"

**Okay guys, I'm sorry for the delay, but I had familial troubles to take care of. Now hopefully I won't be lying when I say updates will be quick! I hope you enjoy these tributes. Albert was especially intriguing to get in the mindset of. These characters were created by Darthdestiny, so thanks for that!**

**Now, for some questions to answer!**

**Who do you like more, Albert or Lani?**

**For those who submitted: do you think your characters would ally with them?**

**Will Albert worry too much about his father and not be fully in the arena?**

**Can Lani's advantages bring her any real advantage in an arena with the Careers?**

**Will Lani and Albert's close friendship end up with both dead, or could one of them survive?**

**Next up, District 4! Just putting out a notice, though: I need District 10 and 11 males, so please submit! My reserve fell through and never submitted, so… THANKS SO MUCH! See you in the next chapter, where we'll meet Khanna and Storm.**


	5. District Four Reapings- The Pretender

Chapter Four: The Pretender

_What if I say I'm not like the others?_

_What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?_

_You're the pretender_

_What if I say that I will never surrender?_

_The Pretender, _Foo Fighters

_Storm Colter, 18, District 4 Citizen_

"Excuse me, waiter!" Storm turned from where he was wiping a table to where one of the patrons of his family's restaurant was beckoning him over. Storm knew this woman, she came in every week, and always had some kind of complaint, no matter what care they took to make sure she had nothing to complain about.

Managing to keep from rolling his eyes, Storm approached the woman and said, "Ma'am, is there a problem with your meal?"

The woman gave him a glare as she said, "_Yes. _I asked for this salad to have no tomatoes and croutons, and they're on there. Also, I wanted the side of corn, not broccoli."

Catching a glimpse of her receipt on the table, Storm saw that the woman had not asked for either thing. Witha calming breath, he said, "I'm sorry about that, ma'am, I'll go and have them remake this for you, and get you the right side. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"I think you need to get some new cooks, because I always have trouble with my meal when I come in here."

Storm could barely repress the urge to burst out, "Why do you come here if you always have problems?" However, he turned away and headed back towards the registers. This was the reason that he hated working here in the family's restaurant. People never seemed to show any kind of respect for the work that they put in, making ridiculous demands and expecting everything perfectly always. Sure, he understood when they genuinely messed up an order, ut often people just chose to complain for no reason.

Many times, he had outbursts at customers, in the days when he first started working at the restaurant, but after three years he'd developed a system to keep his frustration hidden until he was out of sight of customers.

Continuing through to the kitchen, he called over to Caide, one of the cooks, "I need a salad with no tomatoes and croutons, and a side of corn."

"What?" Caide groaned as he turned to start making the salad. "Why? I know we made the order right!"

"It's the lady that always has a problem even when we make it right," Storm told him. "You know she never had that on her order, she just likes to complain."

"Whatever," Caide uttered, getting on with it.

After having taken the woman her order, Storm stayed by the set counter, arranging trays and making sure all the orders were right, he kept his eye on the clock. The restaurant closed at eleven am for reaping day, and Storm knew that he needed to be there on time. After all, he was going to volunteer.

"Hey Storm," said Storm's father as he came from the office in the back. "I saw how you handled Mrs. Reinard, well done."

"Well, it was a close thing," Storm informed him grimly. "You know, I still think Nilo would be better at taking over than me."

Storm's father shook his head. "You know your brother gets sick too often, he couldn't take over. I know you don't really like it here much, but it suits you."

"Dad, you never listen to me!" Storm's frustration mounted as he said, "I'm serious. I think Nilo will be better at running this place than me."

Niilo was the people person. He had lots of friends at school, he could deal when people were rude or made their ridiculous demands even though he was only twelve, whereas Storm could barely stop himself from having an outburst.

Storm's father grew quiet, saying, "That's why you've been training, isn't it? You're going to volunteer?"

Storm's eyes flashed in defiance. "So what if I am? I can't do what you want me to do, Dad. I just can't, okay?"

"All right." A glance at the clock told them that it was two minutes past eleven. "Go on home, I'll close up. You need to get ready."

Storm turned away and out the front doors. He was halfway down the sidewalk towards their house when he felt regret. He shouldn't have gone off like that, especially after expressing his plan to volunteer. He did love his family, but they just didn't get that he couldn't be what they wanted him to be.

When he volunteered, and if he came back a Victor, he could do whatever he wanted.

* * *

_Khanna Shine, District Four Citizen_

Khanna stood beside her aunt's bed, unsure what she wanted to say. Her father had left ten minutes ago, but Khanna wanted a few moments in which to say goodbye to her aunt.

Ever since her uncle had died a couple of years ago, Khanna and her father had taken her aunt. It turned out to be pretty fortunate, as shortly after she moved in, she started to get very ill. Over the last two years became bedridden for the most part, normally sleeping until very late.

Gripping her aunt's hand, she whispered, "I'm going to win the Games, okay? I won't die like Peter did."

Khanna planned to volunteer, both to get her aunt medical care, and to make life easier for her family and neighbors, some of whom were as close as family. It had been a plan ever since her little brother, Peter had been reaped a couple of years ago when he was twelve and she was thirteen, and he hadn't even made it out of the bloodbath. Since that time, Khanna made a huge effort in training, growing her weapons skills and survival tactics.

Another glance at the clock told Khanna that it was time to go. With a squeeze of her aunt's hand, she hurried out the door and down the path to the square. It was already quite crowded, most people already being in the square. This allowed her to pass quickly through the check-in stations and squeeze through to the area where the fifteen year olds waited to learn their fate.

At exactly 1pm, District Four's escort stepped onto the stage. Genevieve Rukkai was a fairly reserved woman, at least by Capitol standards. Her simple business suit, minimal elaborate makeup, and general reservation, paired with the fact that her hair was only highlighted with sea green streaks, made her seem to belong, which she absolutely didn't.

"Welcome to the reaping for the 53rd Hunger Games," she called across the stage. "Let's get started with the ladies."

Crossing over to the bowl, Genevieve picked a couple of slips, dropping one and returning to the podium with the other. Opening it, she said the name. "Moana Dunaway!"

Khanna saw an older girl, maybe seventeen, started to walk up to the stage, but Khanna called, "I volunteer!" before she got very far. Hurrying up to the stage, she kept composed as she stood beside Genevieve.

"What's your name dear?" Genevieve asked her. "How old are you?"

"I'm Khanna Shine," she replied, smiling as she scanned the crowd for her father. "I'm fifteen."

Well, I wish you good luck," Genevieve responded. "Let's find out who will accompany you in the Games."

Crossing to the other reaping container, Genevieve picked the boys name and doled out the fate of the chosen tribute.

"Benton Verhaule," she said into the microphone.

Before the boy could even start to make his way up, another boy right near the stage shouted, "I volunteer!"

The boy, who was probably eighteen, ascended the stairs onto the stage, standing beside Khanna. When asked his name, he responded, "Storm Colter, and I'm eighteen."

"This is wonderful," Genevieve said, smiling at them both. "District Four's tributes for the 53rd Hunger Games, everyone!"

Khanna turned to Storm, and the two shook hands. Storm seemed to give her a critical look, likely wondering why this little girl had volunteered.

_Fine, _she thought spitefully. _I'll show him. I'll come back, and I'll help my family._

**District Four is done! These characters were submitted by sherazade96 (Storm) and VerityGrahams (Khanna). I hope you all like this chapter, I had a lot of fun with it, especially with Storm's. I work in a restaurant, and so I know how it is when you deal with a difficult patron and just barely stop yourself from telling them off. I loved using my experience, and I knew I would do this the moment I got Storm's submission.**

**I told you that the chapters would come faster now! Here's some questions for you to answer if you'd like.**

**Who do you like best, Storm or Khanna?**

**Would your character ally with them? (Storm will be a Career, Khanna a small alliance or alone)**

**Will Storm's determination to break free from his family help him or be a distraction?**

**Did Khanna make an irrational decision in lieu of her brother's death and aging aunt?**

**Look for District 5 soon!**


	6. District Five Reapings- A Place For Us

Chapter Five: There's A Place For Us

_We can be the kings and queens_

_Of anything if we believe it's written in the stars that shine above_

_A world where you and I belong_

_Where faith and love will keep us strong_

_There's A Place For Us,_ Carrie_ Underwood_

_Isabella Martin, 14, District 5 Citizen_

Isabella stared at some math problems her class had been assigned the day before. Usually she was good at all the assignments given to her, but this one was getting the best of her. It didn't help that she hadn't remembered this assignment until 4 am.

"Okay, Izz," Isabella murmured to herself, scribbling a half answer before throwing her

pencil down in frustration. She stared hopelessly as the pencil rolled under the bed.

"Izzy, what are you doing up? Go back to sleep for a while." Isabella turned with a gasp

to the bedroom door, where her older brother, Isaac, stood with a small grin on his face.

"Jeez, Isaac!," Isabella exclaimed, picking up her pencil and glaring at him. "What are

you doing? Do you do this to isla? No!" Isaac always did ridiculous things when he thought she was upset. Usually she liked them, but not at the moment.

"Whoa, calm down," Isaac said, chuckling as he approached, sitting down on her bed. "I heard you up and wanted to know what's going on."

Isabella sighed as she said, "Frantically doing some homework I forgot to do. You know Ms. Harrady will kill me if I don't finish all the work." In the back of her mind, she knew she was overreacting, but her reason had been drowned out by the early wake up and panic.

"Isabella, first off, no she would not. You always do all your work, one time won't bring imminent death down upon you. Second, what's the rush? You'll have all afternoon after the reaping to get it done. No class today, remember."

Isaac's words had their intended effect, and Isabella groaned as she said, "I completely forgot we don't have class. I woke up in the middle of the night for nothing!"

"That's how it works sometimes, sis," Isaac shrugged. "It's still early, maybe you can rest a bit more? I can stall with Mom and Dad for you if you want?"

Isabella smirked. "No, I'm pretty much awake. Let's go see what we can find for breakfast."

The two of them headed downstairs, where they found their mother in the kitchen, opening a cabinet and pulling out breakfast items. "Morning, you two. You're up early."

"Isabella woke up early for no reason, but we're okay," Isaac said. "Need any help, Mom?"

"No, I'm okay here," she said. "If you could go outside and check the garden for me? I think I saw some carrots that needed pulled, and there are plenty of tomatoes and cucumbers to be picked."

"Sure, Mom," Isabella grinned. They headed outside, searching through the plants for vegetables that were ripe. This was one of Isabella's favorite activities. She may have seemed like a super-nerd, but she loved the feeling of being in control of the garden.

"Any plans for before the reaping?" Isabella asked as she pulled up a carrot. They usually did something together, but she didn't want to assume anything.

"Atom and I were going to go fish for a bit before, but I should be back in time for us to do something if you wanted. Or you could come with, although I know how you are about killing animals."

"Don't!" Isabella squealed. She had become a vegetarian two years ago, after a fishing trip with Isaac and their friend Atom where the boys had caught several fish, and the smell had been so much that she couldn't stand any kind of meat anymore. "Okay, I'll see you before the reaping, then."

They grew quiet, and Isaac said, "Izzy, what's up?"

"I don't want now to be the last time I see you before the reaping? What if one of us gets picked? Or Atom? Or next year, Isla's eligible! How do we keep her safe?"

Instead of speaking, Isaac gave a warm smile. Then he said, "Isabella, breathe, okay? Do you know the odds of being reaped?"

She did, having run the calculations through in class yesterday. "Of course, they're at less than 1%, factoring in the population, tesserae, and-"

"Exactly," Isaac interrupted her. "There's very little chance that any of us will be reaped. As for Isla, we don't have to worry about her for now. We take out enough tesserae that she won't have to, so that's not a concern. If any of us are reaped, someone will volunteer. I'll volunteer, and I know you would too, if it were me or Atom, or Isla in the future."

Isabella stayed silent for a moment before she replied. "You're right, I would. I wouldn't let you go in alone, or Atom, and I know you and him won't let me go in alone, if that does happen."

"Exactly," Isaac agreed. "So don't worry, okay? Everything will turn out okay. I promise. I'm your big brother, so I can't lie to you."

Raising her eyebrows playfully, Isabella said, "Oh really? What about when you tricked me into thinking that Atom was drowning, but he was just standing on a big rock just at the sandbar at the lake?"

Isaac burst out laughing, standing up with his armful of vegetables. "It was funny, you have to admit!"

Isla stood and hefted her own pile of carrots, peas, and tomatoes, following Isaac inside. "Okay, now it is, but I was terrified then! I was eleven, and you two wise-acre teenagers thought it would be funny to trick me."

As they entered the kitchen and left their pile of vegetables for their mother to sort out, Isabella knew that her brother was right. If one of them was reaped, it would be both of them going into the arena.

And then she thought. _No, I don't want Isaac and me to be in the arena together. _Because if that happened, she knew that only one of them could return, very likely neither of them.

But how could she tell Isaac about her change of opinion? She couldn't, so she remained silent.

* * *

_Isaac Martin, 16, District 5 Citizen_

Later that afternoon, after he and his friend Atom got back from fishing and met up with Isabella at their house, Isaac was getting ready for the reaping. He gave himself a look in the mirror in his bedroom, satisfied that he was ready to go.

As he started to leave his room, he thought of his sister. Little did she know that he had much the same fears as she did. He was simply better at keeping them hidden. He worried about whether they would be picked, or Atom. He worried about Isla's eligibility next year. He meant it when he said that he would volunteer if she was reaped, and he knew that she was being sincere when she said that she would volunteer to go in with him or Atom.

Putting it out of his mind, he headed over to Isabella's room, where she was finishing braiding her red hair. "I'm ready," she said, tying the red ribbon at the end of the plait. "Let's go!"

Meeting their parents and Isla downstairs, the family joined the throng of people heading to the square, where shortly, two people would be picked to enter the Games.

Isaac despised the Games, and the Capitol who designed them. It was a clear ploy to keep the citizens of each district mistrustful of each other, and the districts themselves from uniting and forming bonds either. The Capitol knew that if they kept them separate, they could keep their power. Of course, he only said these things aloud when he was alone at the lake or in the woods with Atom and Isabella. They let him get on with it, knowing that it was better to get it out than to keep it in, where it could come out in the town where Peacekeepers would overhear him.

After a short walk, and waiting in line for quite a while, they finally made it through the queue in the streets and into the groups of kids that filled the square. Isla stayed with their parents, while Isabella and Isaac each sought out their age groups in the faces of their neighbors and classmates.

Finding Atom in the sixteens, Isaac said, "Hey, man. You ready for this?"

Atom raised an eyebrow. "Nope. But that doesn't matter. I'm ready enough, I guess."

At that moment, the District 5 escort, Genia Afaire, stepped forward. The woman was one of the most well known escorts in the Districts, probably because she was quite large. Her orange business suit made her look like a peach, and her green dyed hair only added to the image.

First going through the spiel from the Capitol about why they had the Games every year, and having the Treaty of the Treason read by their mayor, Isaac gave a bored glance at Atom, who reciprocated with a grin. They could probably quote the ceremony word for word, except for the people who got reaped each year.

"Oh, District 5!" Genia finally called in her surprisingly deep voice. "Let's find out who our tributes will be! Ladies first!"

Genia walked over to the sphere that everyone knew held the girls names that were eligible. Isabella had eighteen entries, while Isaac had thirty. Their odds were low, but not impossible as he'd made it seem earlier.

After picking a name from the bowl, Genia walked back to the microphone and said, "District 5, the lovely young lady representing you this year is… Miss Isabella Martin!"

Isaac searched through the crowds, but he didn't know where Isabella had been waiting. It became obvious, however, when the crowds parted around one area, and Isaac caught sight of Isabella walking through the crowds and up to the stage. He was proud that she appeared calm as she walked up, as he knew that crying and whining would only make her a target as an easy kill.

"Isaac," he heard Atom mutter beside him. "Don't, I'll do it. I'll volunteer and go in with her."

Isaac wasn't listening, however, He knew that, logically, this made sense. It would be much less catastrophic for their families if they died, because they would still have their other children. At the moment, however, Isaac couldn't make himself listen to reason.

Filling with worry and anger for his sister, Isaac could hardly keep himself contained as Genia introduced Isabella and said how glad she was to have her as a tribute. Finally, she headed for the boys names, and Isaac waited for his chance.

When Genia called the intended boy's name, "Kirkland Holmes," the words had barely been called before Isaac exclaimed, "I volunteer!"

He knew there was no going back as he headed up to the stage. He saw Isabella,tears streaming down her face now as she screamed, "Isaac, no! No, please!"

And then he was on the stage, taking his place beside her. He gripped her hand, letting her know she wasn't alone. He gave her a faint smile, and she returned it, although there was something troubled in her eyes.

"Isaac, only one of us can come back," she whispered, only audible to him.

And he understood. How could he have been so stupid. His parents would never forgive him for going in, especially if they both died. And Isaac realized he wouldn't forgive himself if he let Isabella die. In that way, at least, he felt certain. He could at least keep her safe for as long as possible.

**Welcome back! Sorry, I had a bout of flu, but i'm back now with District 5 reapings! These two are the first of three groups of siblings, and I thought it was pretty funny that I got so many! Luck of the draw I guess? They were submitted by the lovely ReadBooksWriteThings, and I liked writing the dynamic they have, being a couple of years apart but so close.**

**Here are a few questions for reviewers to answer!**

**Who do you like better, Isabella or Isaac?**

**Do you think your characters would ally with them?**

**Can Isabella get past her resentment of her brother volunteering, even though she didn't have the courage to tell him she changed her mind?**

**Can Isaac keep them both safe, and what do you think he might do if it ends up just the two of them?**

**And that's that! Another pair of siblings in District Six, which will hopefully come on Thursday. If not, it will be next Tuesday as long as everything goes well.**


	7. District 6 Reapings- Astronaut

**Chapter Six- Astronaut**

_'Cause tonight I'm feeling like an astronaut_

_Sending S.O.S. from this tiny box_

_And I lost all signal when I lifted off_

_Now I'm stuck out here and the world forgot_

_Astronaut,_ Simple Plan

_Kamden Vercetti, 18, District Six Citizen_

Kamden woke up the day of the reaping to her little brother's plaintive request. "Kamden? Kam? I need your help please."

Kamden blinked the tiredness from her eyes and focused on him. "Jace? What's wrong?"

"I need help with the tie," he said, holding out the frayed piece of fabric to her. With a groan, she sat up and started to tie the tie for him. "Thanks, Kamden."

It only took a moment, and after a few seconds, she had his tie properly fixed to his shirt. "You're set," she said, stifling a yawn. "Is Nora up?"

Jace nodded. "She left us breakfast and said she had to run and pay some bills. She'll be back to see us off to the reaping.

Kamden stood and started to get herself ready. "Go ahead and eat, okay? I'll be in there in a few minutes."

He agreed, heading off to the kitchen and leaving Kamden alone in her bedroom. She stared around anxiously, worried it would be her last time being here. It was her final year of eligibility, so her chances were high. She had the required seven entries, plus three every year for tesserae, which added to twenty-eight entries. It wasn't high compared to some districts, but Six had mostly small families with only two or three kids. Twenty-eight was pretty high in six.

She knew that if she were reaped, she would be an extremely unlikely Victor. She was quiet, rarely putting herself out into the world. She preferred to keep to herself, avoiding the company of most people whenever she could. The exceptions were her siblings, and her best friend NiNi, but even they only got together two or three times a week. Kamden didn't mind, however.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, Kamden got herself ready, putting on the skirt and top that Nora had carefully repaired last night. Staring into the mirror, she felt satisfied that she looked halfway decent, and joined her brother in the kitchen. He was already halfway done with his oatmeal, and as she sat down beside him, he put his spoon down and swallowed nervously.

Finally, Kamden said, "Jace, what's wrong. You quit eating, and I can tell you need to say something."

Jace let out a small smile. "How can you read my mind like that?"

Kamden smirked as she said, "I helped raise you, remember? What is it?"

For a moment, he remained quiet, but finally said, "Kamden, I'm scared about today."

She smiled at him to calm him. She and Nora had tried to save enough so that he wouldn't need to take tessera for at least a few years, but he had ended up needing to. "Jace, you have four entries. That's minuscule compared to most of six. You're not-"

"Not for me," he whispered. "What if you're reaped? What will Nora and I do?"

Kamden realized that her brother's compassionate nature was what had made him upset. He didn't want to lose his older sister. "Jace, there are so many people in Six it's unlikely either of us will be reaped. Nora made it through okay, and so will you and I. You got me?" Many times over the years she'd wondered what would happen to her and Jace if Nora had been reaped. Thankfully, it hadn't happened. She now realized that Jace was experiencing the same thing.

With a calming breath, he nodded. "I know it's super unlikely, I just got worried, Kamden. Thanks for reassuring me."

A moment later, he was back to his cheerful self. "Guess what Kayden and Jeremy and me found yesterday?" He proceeded to tell her about the trip into District Six's woods he and his friends had taken, where they'd come upon a group of raccoons. Kamden liked raccoons. A few years ago, one had stuck around the house for several weeks. Kamden had befriended it and given it food and some water. Eventually, however, it had moved on to another home.

After a few minutes, Kamden heard the front door open, and Nora came into the kitchen. "Hey," Kamden greeted.

"Did you even eat before you left?" Jace asked his sister.

Nora smiled at him. "I did, kiddo. Thanks for thinking of me."

"Um, Nora," Kamden said. "Can we talk for a minute? Please?" She needed to reassure herself that things would be okay if she were reaped.

They went into Kamden's bedroom, where Kamden spilled it all. "Nora, I'm so scared that you guys won't be okay if I have to go. My bakery salary-"

"Whoa, calm down," Nora interrupted. She was only about six years older than Kamden, but sometimes seemed decades older instead. "Your bakery salary certainly helps, but I make enough that we'll get by. Jace is resilient, you know him."

Kamden barely whispered, "But what about you? I mean, Jace and I barely remember Mom and Dad, but you-"

"It'll be hard, yes," Nora agreed. "But, Kam, I can deal. I've done it before. So have you. You remember enough of Dom and Dad to know that anything can be muddled through. Right?"

Kamden nodded as she said, "You're right, I guess. I just got worried. Jace reminded me that I have so many entries, and I guess I got worried."

With a bitter laugh, Nora said, "I'm worried about you, too, you know? But worrying doesn't help anything. Now, I'm going to help Jace clean up the kitchen. Come and help once you've gotten yourself together, and we'll head to the reaping."

Nora left, leaving Kamden once again alone. She liked being alone. She tried to convince herself that alone was best because then no one would be bothered very much if something happened to her.

For once, however, she found herself not wanting to be alone.

* * *

_Jace Vercetti, 12, District 6 Citizen_

Jace found himself in the square about an hour later, searching the crowds of twelve-year-olds for his friends Kayden and Jeremy. He was still worried a lot about Kamden, but she had successfully managed to calm him down.

"Jace!" He turned to face Kayden as she approached. "Have you seen Jeremy? He didn't say whether he would be coming alone or with his mom, did he?"

Jace shrugged. "I have no idea, Kay," he responded. "Haven't seen him yet. He'll show up, though." If he didn't Jace would not want to be in his shoes. He'd seen several times what happened to those who decided to skip the reaping, and it wasn't pleasant. They weren't killed, but he didn't doubt that many of them would rather have been.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, they caught sight of their friend making his way through the crowd. "Where were you?" Kayden demanded.

"Calm down, Kay," he said with a grin. "Anney was taking forever to get ready, that's why I'm late."

Jace laughed. Anney was Jeremy's sister, and she always seemed to think she'd end up the mayor's wife or something. As if that would happen to anyone unfortunate in Six. "Well, you're here now. Not long before Hiera comes onstage to tell us our fates."

The three of them chatted for a few minutes, but all the while Jace searched the crowds for Kamden. She would be near the front with the oldest kids, and it was hard for him to see over the heads of so many teenagers. Finally, he caught sight of her friend NiNi's red hair. Sure enough, beside her was Kamden, her hair in its normal brown ponytail.

He willed her to turn around. He wanted to give her one last smile before the reaping began, to let her know he was around somehow at least. Finally, she turned and caught sight of him. She gave a half-smile as she did so, before turning back to NiNi. It was all Jace had wanted.

Finally, Hiera Holt, District Six's escort arrived on the stage. Kayden said, "She looks so different this year." She was right. Every year previously, Hiera had always had silvery hair and pink and purple stencils all over her body, paired with a rather drab looking business outfit. This year, her hair had been dyed a shocking crimson red, and her stencils had been changed from their previous coloring to a glimmering white. The effect was quite terrifying.

"Welcome, District Six!" She said. "I won't beat around the bush, we all know you're just aching to know who is representing your District this year! Let's not keep you in suspense any longer. May the odds be ever in your favor!"

She almost skipped over to the girls' bowl, picking out a handful and choosing one from that. Returning to her stand, she opened it. She seemed to savor the moment of suspense as she said, "Your female tribute this year, District Six, is… Kamden Vercetti! Where are you, sweetheart?"

Kayden and Jeremy looked at Jace, sorrow in their eyes.

"I'm sorry, Jace," Kayden said, putting an arm around him. Jace himself didn't know what to feel yet. He wasn't stupid. He knew how dangerous the Games were. He knew that, as much as he might believe his sister could do anything, she would be no match for the Careers who had trained since the age of five or six to win glory for their District. He knew that he would lose her. Seeing her standing on the stage, calmly accepting it all, he couldn't stand it.

"Kamden!" he yelled. Breaking free of Kayden's shoulder, Jace pushed through the other kids in his path, breaking through to the center of the crowd and hurrying towards the stage. Before he could reach them, a pair of Peacekeepers grabbed him and stopped him from continuing. "Kamden!" he yelled again. He couldn't let her go, he just couldn't.

"Get back in the crowd," one of the Peacekeepers growled at him. "Now."

This was enough to jolt Jace back into his senses. He knew that he couldn't make a scene. It would only make things worse for him and Nora, and possibly Kamden once she was in the arena. He sagged and started to return to his section.

"Well…" Hiera tried to reclaim the crowd's attention. "Let's see who our boy tribute is going to be this year, shall we?" She went through the same process for the boys, returning to the stand with another name, this time the boys. Jace made his way through the crowd but stopped momentarily to hear the name. "Come on up...well, well, this is unfortunate. Our male tribute this year is Jace Vercetti. It seems we have siblings this year."

Jace didn't move for a moment. He figured everyone realized that he was the tribute since he'd gone running after Kamden, but he couldn't force his feet to move. Nora will be crushed.

Slowly, he made his way to the stage. He wasn't normally a crier, but he wanted to at the moment. However, he forced himself to appear calm, like Kamden. Reaching the stage he'd been denied access to earlier, he made his way over to Kamden. She didn't break her calm facade, but he saw a couple of tears falling down her cheek. She reached her hand out to him, and together they stood, hands clasped, united against the future tributes who would mark them as easy targets.

We stand no chance. But we have to try

Hi everyone… I honestly have nothing to say for myself that you can't already guess. I'm definitely not giving up on this, especially now that I will have basically unlimited free time to write because everyone's stuck inside. All I can say is to hopefully expect more frequent updates now that my uni has closed campus early. Thank you everyone for being patient with me. I'll just say that I had another cold a while back, and then uni had lots of stuff I had to do, and then the world essentially went mad overnight. In essence, I'm sorry.

Now, on to the story. Kamden and Jace were sent to me by theflowercrowns! I enjoy both of these characters. Jace is fun and upbeat except when he worries about his sisters, where Kamden has more of an inner strength. I'm totally rooting for them, but who'm I kidding? Every tribute I've gotten is awesome.

Just so y'all know, the tributes I need have ben filled! Coming up are some questions for you guys to answer.

Who do you like more, Kamden or Jace?

Which other characters do you think they'll ally with?

Can Kamden get past her people problem? Allies are important, after all.

Jace seems to know that their chances are slim, but can he turn that around and help get one of them home?

NOTE: Now that we're halfway through, I'm going to switch up and do some goodbyes/ train ride scenes. Hopefully I'll make it entertaining enough to last until we get to the Capitol, and then the characters can start to show their skills and weaknesses. See you soon!


	8. District 7 Goodbyes: Centuries

**Chapter 7: Centuries**

_We've been here forever_

_And here's the frozen proof_

_I could scream forever_

_We are the poisoned youth_

_Centuries _by FallOut Boy

_Rowan Scorrus, 14, District 7 Tribute_

Rowan sat straight in his chair, bouncing his knee as he waited nervously for whatever came next. He knew that the tributes always had a few minutes to say goodbye to anyone that came by, and that was sure to bring about lots of tension and worry. He remembered his older sister Avyanna's exclamation of, "Rowan!" as he called the fateful words through the silence of the square.

"I volunteer!"

No one had expected someone as seemingly young as him to volunteer, especially in the wake of the much older boy who was originally reaped. Rowan, however, had been firmly decided for several weeks now. He had managed to keep it from his family, even though he was very excited to tell them that he was going to do something that would make their lives so much better, but he knew they would dissuade him, and more importantly, try to go in his stead. He wanted to do something important that would help the family, and in the districts, winning the Games was just about the only way to do that.

The door creaked open, and admitted six people into the room. First in was his younger sister, Roisin. They were the closest of all their siblings, being only a year apart. She was promptly followed by his other three sisters, and his parents. They all surrounded him, giving Rowan a feeling of being on trial.

Avyanna started in first. "Rowan, what the hell were you thinking? Why did you volunteer for a slaughter?"

Rowan responded, "Ave, I'm going to do this to make things better for us. I'm going to win the Games."

His mother put a hand on his shoulder. "Rowan, you can't have thought this through, sweetheart. There are going to be many much older and better trained tributes in the Games, you'll never be able to survive them."

"Mom, I know that," Rowan said, excited to tell them his plan. "That's why I'm going to join them. I'm good with axes and good with survival, they can use me. Once we level down the playing field a bit, I'll kill them and then I can beat whoever might be left."

Roisin gave a grimace. "Rowan, you'd be okay just killing all those people?"

Rowan shrugged. "If it's them or me, I have to make the decision, right? I can definitely make that decision."

Rowan's father put his arm around his mother's shoulder, saying, "Rowan, it's admirable that you want to try to help us, but think about what might happen if we lose you. We lose the income you bring in from working, we have to find someone to stay home after school to look after Bernadette and Magnolia… where does that leave us, son?"

Rowan hadn't fully considered that, but dismissed it as negligible. Things would improve as soon as he won, even if there would be a temporary time of hardship for them while he was gone. "I've been saving some money, you can use that if something goes wrong." Not that it would.

His youngest sister, nine year old Bernadette, blinked up at him imploringly as she said, "Rowan, I just want you to come back, okay? Don't leave us forever."

Rowan stood, taking both her and eleven year old Magnolia into a big embrace. "I promise, Berns. I'll be back in a few weeks, tops, and then we'll have a much better life. I'm tougher than I look, y'know."

"Okay," Magnolia said, squeezing him briefly tighter. The girls released him, and Rowan observed his family standing around him. It no longer seemed like a trial, but some kind of ritual circle. Everyone was holding onto someone, and he noticed that Roisin had a few tears in her eyes.

"Rowan, please just think before you act," she finally said. "You can't trust anyone in the Games, remember that. Any alliance will be temporary."

Rowan nodded in agreement. "I know that. Not planning on letting my guard down."

A moment later, the Peacekeeper outside the door entered and said, "You're done, time to go."

Rowan was embraced once again, this time by his whole family. Everyone gave him very tight squeezes, and the Scorrus family was reluctant to let go. They left quickly after that, however, to avoid being dragged out by the Peacekeeper, and left Rowan standing in the middle of the room.

Returning to the chair, Rowan waited in the chair for the hour to pass, wondering if anyone else would come and see him. He sincerely doubted it. He had a few friends at school, but they weren't particularly close. For the most part, his friendships went only so far as working on projects and teaming up for sports. Beyond that, he didn't have a close friend (besides Roisin).

As he waited, he thought over the things his family had said. He didn't share many of their concerns, but he'd always been highly ambitious and tended to be a loner. He didn't form many attachments, and so he would definitely be fine when he had to kill the Careers when the time came, at least emotionally, and likely physically as well.

All he wanted was to make things better for them. As long as he kept his eyes on that goal, he knew he could make it through whatever the arena threw at him.

_Bring it on, _he thought. _I'm ready for you, Arena._

* * *

_Scarlett Atwood, 17, District 7 Tribute_

As Scarlett waited to see who would come to say goodbye to her, she wondered- what had gotten into that kid's head? The boy who was reaped seemed like a safer bet to win, but he had simply surged forward and volunteered. She recognized him as a girl in her class' little brother, but didn't know much beyond that. She knew enough to not underestimate the boy, though. In the Games, anyone could turn out to be a formidable contender.

She thought of her own chances. As far as strength, she certainly wasn't a wimp, but didn't think she could measure up to any of the Careers she'd seen in the Games in previous years- not just physically, but in killer instinct. She didn't think she would be able to kill anyone unless her life was in immediate danger, and even then it would have to be when there was no other choice. No, she couldn't do that. If she were to win, she would have to hide and keep away from any unnecessary conflicts.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the door opening and admitting her parents.

"Mom! Dad!" Scarlett leaped up and embraced them. "Where are Mary, Caleb, and Max?"

Her father gave her a warm smile. "Mary's going to bring the boys in after we leave, we figured by doing it this way, we'd have more time with you."

"Okay," Scarlett gave them a smile, and stepped back from them.

Scarlett's mother returned the smile, but it came out slightly anxious. Scarlett knew that this was unusual for her mother, who usually kept her emotions firmly in check. "Scarlett, are you okay? Are you holding up alright after all this?"

Scarlett took a big breath as she considered how to answer the question. "I'm really terrified, but I think I can at least make it a little way through the Games, and if the Careers get taken out somehow…"

Her father nodded in encouragement. "That's right, Scarlett. You honestly have a lot of basic knowledge that many won't have. Not telling you you'll have an easy time of it, but just keep yourself hidden as much as possible."

Scarlett nodded. "I know, Dad. You taught me all that, remember? I'm trying to manage my hope, but I know that I'm possibly way ahead of other tributes." Yes, in many ways, she had a big advantage over some. She might not have the killer instinct, but she had some basic survival knowledge that she hadn't really seen many of the previous tributes display, even the Careers.

For a few minutes, Scarlett's father drilled her on various things he'd shown her over the years. Finally, they were forced out by the Peacekeepers, and a minute after that, her older sister, Mary, and her two brothers, Caleb and Max, came in.

"Scarlett, please just come back!" Caleb was the first one to reach her, and the first to embrace her. Caleb always liked to mess with her, but was now showing worry and fear for her.

He was followed by Mary, who stroked her hair and murmured, "I have something for you."

Mary pulled a piece of paper out of her skirt pocket and handed it to her. Unfolding it, Scarlett saw that it was one of her sister's drawings. Mary loved to sketch things when she got a few moments of free time, but it rarely happened because, as the oldest sibling, she had to work the most of all of them. Scarlett knew that this drawing was special, as Mary treasured all of them. This one in particular was a simple garden scene, but it was so extremely detailed that Scarlett kept marveling at it, amazed at the detail.

"Mary, this is beautiful, thank you!" Turning to Max, Scarlett raised her eyebrows playfully at him. "And you, sir, must promise me something. Behave for everyone, okay? Everyone's going to be so stressed as it is."

Max, usually the least serious of them all, only eyed her uncertainly as he responded, "I'll try, I know I get a bit excited sometimes…"

"That's not what we're worried about when we tell you that," Scarlett reminded him. "You know the Peacekeepers might harm you if you get into some kind of trouble. And I'm not asking you to change immediately, but a little restraint, okay kiddo?"

Max nodded, giving her a small smirk. "I know, I promise I'll try to be good. But you have to promise me something too."

Scarlett gave him a questioning look. "What's that?"

"Come back."

Scarlett pursed her lips tightly, not wanting to let him down, but also intent on managing his expectations. "I'll absolutely try, Max, but there are a lot of tributes, and a lot of them will be better than me. I can do my best, though. Does that work for you?"

He nodded, seeming satisfied. Looking at all her siblings, Scarlett gave them a smile. "I love you all, you know that, right? That's for always."

Mary put an arm around Caleb and said, "We know you're strong and capable, Scarlett. With some lucky breaks, you can win."

Scarlett agreed. "Exactly." Everyone went quiet for a moment, before she said, "I don't want them to drag you away. I think we're almost out of time."

The three of them embraced her again, and then left. Scarlett was left, feeling quite alone. She knew that her friend Lucas would probably come in a bit, but until then, she was alone with her thoughts.

Scarlett quickly amended her thoughts. _From now on, I'm completely alone. No one is going to help me win, not when it means they'll die._

She was a person who needed people, being very sociable. It would be easy to gain sponsors in the Capitol, but any potential alliance would be temporary, and would end in at least one of them dying.

_I'll just have to learn to deal, _She decided. _Suck it up, Scarlett._

But she knew that her time in the arena would seem like a lifetime, regardless of the actual length, or her own time in it.

**So…. hi to anyone still reading this (are there any of you out there)? I have no excuse for my delay of writing this, save for the fact that the world went insane when I did my last update, and I had to figure out what was happening with that. Otherwise, I have no excuse for myself. Will I be forgiven as long as I keep writing?**

**Let's go over the characters and their creators! The character of Rowan was created by my amazing friend x Hemlock x, aka Esme, a literal angel who is so awesome I don't have words! Thanks, Esme! Scarlett was created by the same creator as Gemma from District 1, so I must thank her for the double submission! I actually found a really soft spot for the Atwoods as I wrote this, especially Mary, and I am really going to hate myself when I put their sister through the insanity of the Games.**

**Time for the questions!**

**1: Who do you like best, Rowan or Scarlett?**

**2: Do you have any ideas of other tributes they might ally with?**

**3: Rowan made a rash choice- do you think he might have what it takes?**

**4: Scarlett has a lot of familial ties, do you think that will be enough motivation to get her home?**

**And that over, I bid all thou lovely readers goodbye, at least until we get on with District 8, which has my last pair of siblings!**


End file.
